Who Wants to Be the Best Anyway?
by BlandGardener
Summary: A disgraced former pokemon trainer reluctantly embarks on a journey to find his younger brother.
1. How I lost my summer vacation

**Ah, the Sinnoh League; home to the Creation trio, Team Galactic and the most competitive Battle Frontier in all of the regions. Also, it happens to be home to one of the unlikely 'heroes' imaginable. Why is he unlikely? Oh, you will see.**

* * *

"Hurry up, Paige!" Kevin yelled back at his friend. "This is only day one and you're already lagging behind!"

The two of them were pushing through a thicket of tall grass on route 204, attempting to cross into Floaroma Town before the sun set. Unlike him, Paige was not an outdoors person at all; she spent her days blogging about how cruel and irresponsible pokemon training was. She could go on and on for days about how the darkness of a society that forces pokemon to fight for its sick pleasure. She only joined Kevin on his journey because she was his friend and she cared.

She was doubled over and put her hands on her bare knees again, panting roughly.

"Time out, "she coughed out, making the 'T' sign with her hands. "Can we take a break?"

"Oh, no," he said turning on his heels and grabbing her by her frail left arm and dragging her through the thick brush. "We've already taken like six breaks. Break time is over."

He didn't _want_ to go on another journey and now he had to babysit somebody who didn't know anything about either pokemon or the outdoors.

* * *

Kevin Hartfort remembered how his week started on Monday. It was the first day of his summer break, discounting the weekend. He was hoping for a normal day at the neighborhood pool with his friends before going to the movies with Paige. That was what he was hoping for. That was changed by the distressed wails he heard from downstairs. So, he went to investigate.

He put on a fresh T-shirt and blue swimming trunks, hinting to his mom what he wanted to do that day and crept downstairs to the kitchen where the voice was coming from. His mom was seated at the kitchen table with the phone in her hand, crying her eyes out.

"Mom?" he called to her. "What's wrong?"

He approached her and put a comforting hand on her back.

"It's your brother, Kevin, " she answered, trying in vain to wipe away some of her tears with the back of her hand. "He hasn't called for a week and every time I call, he doesn't pick up!"

"Oh, is that it?" asked Kevin casually as he went to the cupboard to grab a glass and a bottle of aspirin to calm her down. He went to the refrigerator and poured her a glass of orange juice.

"He promised that he was going to call every day", she frantically went on. "You remember; you were there! Every day! _You_ called every day!"

"I know, mom", he said, setting the glass on the table in front of her. He bent down to hold her and pat her back as she sobbed some more. "There, there. Take these, it'll make you feel better."

He backed away and handed her the aspirin and watched as she took a gulp of the orange juice. He then went over to the sink and tore a couple of paper towels off of the roll and handed it to her. She tried to use it on her nose and found it too rough so she pulled her eldest son closer and blew her nose on his shirt. He looked visibly dismayed for a second but quickly recovered.

"He's twelve years old, mom", he said, sounding like the adult in the situation. "He went on a pokemon journey. It's a part of growing up. You know us guys, sometimes we get too macho to call mom. It's all part of the game. It's all a passage of becoming a man. He's a tough kid. He's perfectly fine; I guarantee it."

"You're right, son", she said. "Maybe I'm overreacting; I'm sure he'll call soon."

"Cool", replied Kevin. "Now, can I go to the pool; after I shower, of course?"

* * *

Kevin and his buddies, Stephen and Derrick, were sitting the deep end of the pool with their feet in the water. Kevin was telling them about his mom that morning.

"She's really freaking out, guys", he explained. "I think she's going to try to call him back which would really suck."

Derrick and Stephen had actually lost interest in what Kevin was talking about. Their attention was drawn to a small crowd of paparazzi moving towards the pool. In the center of them was a tall, slender, beautiful blonde in a black bikini who was none other than the reigning Sinnoh League champion Cynthia. She was carrying a medium-sized back beach bag containing what was presumably a towel and suntan lotion. Maybe there was some pokeballs in there as well but that is just speculation.

"Dude, Cynthia is so hot", Derrick said, almost drooling. "I wanna marry her and have her babies."

"Now I really regret not getting into Pokemon", Stephen agreed.

"Eh", shrugged Kevin.

"What do you mean 'eh'?" asked Derrick and Stephen at the same exact time, strangely enough.

"She's not that special", said Kevin, with another shrug.

Derrick immediately put Kevin in a headlock while Stephen lightly jabbed Kevin in the ribs.

"You take that back that!" shouted Derrick.

"Nobody disrespects my queen!" shouted Stephen.

Annoyed, Kevin slipped out of Derrick's headlock and pushed them both off of the edge into the pool. He then stood up and began walking towards the high dive.

"I'm over this", he said. "You guys aren't listening to me, anyway."

* * *

He climbed up to the high diving board and waited until he got the go-ahead nod from the lifeguard before running and vaulting into a sloppy somersault before diving headfirst into the water. When he reached the surface again, he splayed out on his back and let himself drift back to the pool's edge. He let his teenage worries wash over him. He hadn't felt so peaceful in so long.

"Look out belooow!", he heard a familiar voice yell out and opened his eyes in time to see his good friend Paige in a suspended belly flop above him. She basically crossbodied him into the pool, sinking the two of them to the very bottom; they slowly swam for the edge.

They came to the surface together, clutching the edge of the pool as well as their ribs but laughing all the same.

"Oww", whined Kevin, clutching his ribs.

"Sorry, " she said, looking at him and laughing. "I thought it would be funny."

He looked at his friend, Paige. Dark hair, dark makeup, dark painted nails, pale skin; she was his friend since she moved to their home Jubilife City mostly because she was just like him. Both of them were ornery but they knew how to have a good laugh.

"If you were a dude", he said, "I would punch you, but yeah, it was funny."

"You two!" called the lifeguard from the chair from above them, "get out of the pool!"

* * *

As Kevin and Paige walked around the pool to leave through the gated entrance, none other than Cynthia stepped in front of them to block their way.

"Hello", she said, not offering a hand and standing as stiff as ever. "My name is Cynthia; five-year Sinnoh Region Pokemon Champion."

"Um", Kevin said to her, looking at Paige briefly, "Nice to meet you, Cynthia, but 'pokemon champion' means as much to me as the easter bunny but it's nice to meet you all the same…"

"I know you," Cynthia said to him, "don't I?"

"No", he answered after a brief pause.

Awkwardly, Kevin and Paige walked past her to leave the pool while she stared them down the entire time.

* * *

That was four days ago and since then, he had decided to leave most of his friends behind to search for his brother. The search had just begun. The last place he called from was Veilstone City, so that was the destination. First, they had to get through this tall brush on Route 204.

Kevin finally yanked Paige through the edge of it and let her go. She fell to her knees and tried to desperately catch her breath. He stared at her and shook his head in pity.

"I don't _git_ it", he said jokingly. "you're so skinny; how are you so out of shape?"

Her response was to look at him briefly and wheeze once like she was a squeak toy.

"Hey!" some kid called to him from behind. "You're a trainer, aren't you?"

Kevin turned on his heels.

_Oh great_, he thought. _A protypical summer pokemon kid_; s_he has the baseball cap, the dorky dress shirt, vest, skinny jeans and tennis shoes_.

"No", Kevin said and moved to help Paige to her feet.

"Wait!" the kid said and ran over to him. "We have to battle!"

"I said I'm not a trainer", Kevin repeated.

"But you have a pokeball right there!" she said pointing to the miniature pokeball on his belt.

"No I don't", Kevin answered.

"Yes, you do", she insisted, "and you have to battle me!"

"Says who?" wondered Kevin.

"The guidebook of Pokemon Training in Sinnoh!" she said, taking out the inches-thick book. "It says if you don't battle me, you have to forfeit five hundred dollars."

She held out her palm as if waiting for him to give her something. Instead, he snatched the guidebook out of her hand, turned and flung it into the woods behind him.

"Hey!" she screamed.

"Come on, Paige", Kevin said, rushing away from her as Paige struggled to keep up.

Suddenly, the kid flung her sole pokeball at Kevin, hitting him squarely in the back. He stopped in his tracks when he heard _whoosh_ of a pokemon rising from its ball. He turned and saw a chimchar emerge from the ball. He flinched at the sight of it.

"You have to fight me!" she yelled. "If you don't, I'll have Moonkey beat you up and then I'll take your stuff!"

"Oh, is that right, little girl?" Kevin asked, taking his own pokeball off of his belt. "Well, let me give you a class in pokemon training. Lesson plan of the day: disappointment."

He flung his pokeball to the ground and released his own starter pokemon: turtwig.

"Oh, yeah!" she shouted in excitement. "You picked the grass type! What a loser! My Moonkey will destroy your puny turtwig."

"Oh, so your chimchar already knows fire attacks?"

"Huh?" she asked, alarmed. "I don't know…"

"Turtwig, use 'tackle'!" ordered Kevin. Turtwig made a beeline right for Moonkey at a speed that surprised both trainers. It hit with the top of its hard head right in Moonkey's chin, sending it backwards a few fit where it landed on its back.

"Hey!" the girl shouted. "That wasn't fair! We weren't ready!"

Kevin kneeled down to get a good look at Moonkey trying to get up, it fell down once and stumbled around when it tried to get up again. It was dazed horribly.

"He's on the ropes, turtwig!" Kevin yelled. "Hit him with another 'tackle'!"

"Moonkey, please!" she yelled. "Don't get hit this time! Move out of the way!"

At the last second, Moonkey leapt clear above turtwig's head, again surprising both trainers.

"Yes!" she yelled. "Moonkey, now use 'scratch'!"

Moonkey gave Turtwig a hard swipe in the face before landing behind it.

"That's alright, turtwig!" yelled Kevin. "Shake it off!"

Turtwig did indeed shake his head and cleared the cobwebs.

"Now, Moonkey!" she commanded. "Use another 'scratch'!"

Moonkey leapt in the air for turtwig all dramatic-like.

"Quick, turtwig!" said Kevin. "Use 'withdraw'!

Turtwig quickly pulled his head and limbs into his shell, making himself nearly impenetrable. Moonkey's scratches might as well been against a steel wall as they had no effect; in fact, Moonkey hurt himself a bit.

"What?" the girl asked.

Moonkey landed on the ground in confusion.

"Now hit him with another tackle!" Kevin commanded. Turtwig emerged from his turtle shell and leapt into Moonkey's chest headfirst, causing him to roll backwards several times and land on its back. Moonkey tried to sit up but he started shaking and struggling to stay up. Eventually, he just fell back down and passed out. Kevin won the battle.

The girl sunk to her knees and raised her pokeball, pushing the button to call Moonkey back. Moonkey digitized and returned to her pokeball.

"Thank you for trying, Moonkey", she whispered with her head lowered. "I'm sorry I failed you."

Turtwig walked over to Kevin, looking up at him for _something_. It cooed to him with its unique cry, attempting to introduce itself. It lightly bumped its head against his leg repeatedly in an attempt to say 'hello'. Unfazed, Kevin called him back to his pokeball and put it back on his belt. Paige then walked up to Kevin with a wide smile.

"Admit it", she said, "you had fun."

"I guess I did", he said with a brief shrug.

The two friends looked over at the girl, who was now shaking and silently sobbing.

"Hey, little girl", Kevin called over to her. "It's okay! You don't have to pay me! I'll waive the fee!"

"Yeah, it's okay!" said Paige.

Suddenly, the girl leapt up to feet and ran off into the woods, leaving her yellow cap behind.

"Wait, your chimchar is hurt!" Kevin yelled after her. "You have no way to defend yourself!"

Paige and Kevin looked at each other for a second.

"Maaaan", whined Kevin. "Now we have to go after her."

* * *

The girl unfortunately ran right into a flock of starly, bird-type pokemon. They were not happy. When Kevin and Paige emerged on the scene, the starly had surrounded her and were flapping all about her, threatening to peck and scratch. The screeches were godawful on Kevin's ears.

Kevin released his turtwig while Paige released her piplup.

"Okay, turtwig!" Kevin yelled. "You only have one attack so don't embarrass me in front of Paige!"

"Piplup!" Paige yelled. "'Pound them up and down!"

The piplup just stood there and looked at Paige with its big eyes and tilted his head at her.

"Why aren't you doing anything?" Paige wondered.

"That command was really confusing!" Kevin said. "I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Pound!" yelled Paige.

The turtwig and the piplup leapt through the air and in a single strike from each, scattered the starly, who in turn flew off towards the sky.

The girl sat on the ground, stifling her tears.

Paige went over to her and kneeled down.

"Hey", she said to her, "you okay, kid?"

"This wasn't supposed to happen", she said. "you're supposed to win your first battle…"

"If it makes you feel any better", Paige continued, "you didn't lose to _anybody_."

"Um, Paige", Kevin said, making swiping motions across his neck to signal her to stop, "no."

"Kevin here was one of the best pokemon trainers in Sinnoh, actually", Paige went on. "He beat the elite four and almost became champion."

"Okay", Kevin said, calling turtwig back to his ball. "That's good."

"Really?" she said, wiping away her tears. "That's so cool!"

"So, yeah" Paige went on. "I'm Paige and this is Kevin. What's your name?"

"My name is Jean Taylor and I'm gonna be a pokemon master, champion of all the regions", the girl said.

Kevin literally groaned. She was another one of _those_ types.

"Hey", Jean said, getting closer to them. "Can I come with you?"

"See, I'm not really going on a pokemon journey…", Kevin said, only to be cut off by Paige.

"Sure you can come with us, sweetie!" Paige exclaimed, taking her by the hand.

"Hey!" Kevin said. "You can't invite people on the journey! It's _my_ journey!"

"This is gonna be so much fun!" said Paige. "It's gonna be like having a little sister! I always wanted one to pick on!"

"Paige, I hate you so much sometimes", Kevin admitted.

"This is gonna be so cool!" Jean said, turning to Kevin. "I'm gonna challenge you every day until I beat you and then when I beat you, I'm gonna hone my skills against you! It's gonna be so awesome!"

With that, Jean forcibly hugged him.

"Yay", he said emotionlessly. He was not happy.

* * *

**That was how Kevin's journey began; the first of many pitfalls on his journey to rediscover his supposed 'love' for pokemon. Come next time and have a laugh at his party's disastrous trek through the Ravaged Path on Route 204 and Floaroma Town.**


	2. Louge and the ravaged path

Kevin and Paige had actually received their starter pokemon from Professor Rowan in Sandgem town earlier that morning. The old man was well aware of who Kevin was, though the sixteen-year old tried desperately to hide it at times. He wasn't happy about giving the kid a pokemon at all but the boy's mom had begged and pleaded with the professor; also he was legally obligated to provide any prospective travelers with a pokemon for their safety.

Professor Rowan presented the two of them with three pokeballs on his lab table.

"Young man", Rowan said pointing a crooked finger at him. "I've heard distressing things about you."

"Hasn't anybody told you not to point?" replied Kevin carelessly with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "It's rude."

"It's with a heavy heart that I allow you to choose one of these young pokemon", Rowan continued, looking at the balls. "I know of your history…"

Kevin sighed loudly and came forward.

"Listen!" Kevin said, yanking the middle pokeball off of the table and holding it up. "I don't care about any of this; I'm just looking for my brother, alright? I'll take this one."

Suddenly, the pokeball opened of its own accord in Kevin's hand and a chimchar emerged on the floor next to him. It crawled over to him and sniffed his leg, poking at his sneakers with its little monkey-like fingers.

"Chimchar" said the professor, "the fire-type; he seems to take a liking to you…"

Kevin pushed the center button on the pokeball to call it back, which it did. He then put the pokeball back on the table.

"E-Excuse me", said Professor Rowan. "Just what are you doing?"

"I don't want that one", Kevin said. "Take it back."

"What's wrong with you, Kevin?" Paige asked from behind him. "Who cares what pokemon you pick?"

"Not that one, okay?" Kevin snapped. "I'm not taking a chimchar and if you're coming with me, you're not taking one either."

* * *

Presently, Kevin watched as Jean knelt down to her unconscious chimchar and poured her Revive potion into its mouth bit by bit.

"Come on, Moonkey", Jean cooed, cradling his head in her lap. "Drink up, okay? You'll feel all better."

"Paige, can I talk to you?" Kevin said, motioning her away from Jean.

"Yeah?" asked Paige when they got a good distance away from her to talk in private behind some trees.

"That little brat has got to _goooo_", Kevin said. "I feel like she's just gonna drag us down and I'm just not feeling it, dawg. I mean she named her chimchar _Moonkey_; that's a horrible name. Those sneakers she wears are lame and she has a face you want to smack."

"A face that you want to smack?" questioned Paige. "Dude, _come on_."

"We're dumping her in Floaroma Town", he said. "It's decided."

He began to walk past her back towards Jean when Paige grabbed him around his elbow to stop him.

"Wait a second", she said. "You already broke her spirits when you crushed her in that battle. You want to crush her _again_? Twice in the span of thirty minutes?"

"You don't break a pokemon trainer's spirits", he whispered. "It just cracks; anyway, since when do you care? You don't like people!"

"I-uh, like _some _people", she shot back. "Anyway, what do you know about what pokemon trainers do? You said you are not a pokemon trainer!"

Paige pointed her index finger at Kevin's face even though they were a few inches away from each other.

"Get your finger out of my face", Kevin ordered.

"My finger isn't in your face", she answered. "It's in front of your face."

"Well, now my finger is in front of _your_ face", said Kevin, pointing his finger at her right eyeball.

"You better move your finger from in front of my face", threatened Paige.

"What are you going to do, sucka?" wondered Kevin.

"I'm going to bite it", threatened Paige.

"Bite my finger and I'm gonna bite your finger", answered Kevin.

Paige opened her mouth and snapped her jaws shut a centimeter from his finger, making him flinch.

"Oh, you gonna bite my finger?" he asked again, mimicking by biting down in front of her finger.

Jean finally walked over in time to see the two of them with their fingers in each other's faces pretending to bite down on them. It was a pretty strange sight.

"Excuse me!" she yelled at them.

They both looked over and saw her there. Quickly, they moved away from each other and pretended to be two normal people.

"Hey…kid…" Paige said, walking over awkwardly. "What's...?"

"It's Jean", Jean corrected, holding Moonkey up in her hands as if presenting him to them.

"What?" Paige said, awkwardly putting her hands on her hips. "I know…your name…Jean…; hey, is Moonkey all better?"

"Moonkey is all better, see?" Jean called to Kevin, ignoring Paige and looking around her at him.

Kevin walked towards as her as she held up Moonkey. Its tiny brown tail wasn't ignited so it didn't burn her. It looked up expectantly at Kevin with his red-rimmed brown eyes, licking his lips and giving a small cry.

"Okay…" said Kevin with his hands in his hoodie pockets.

"Moonkey is mad at you for cheating earlier", Jean informed him. "He said he'll forgive you if you give him a kiss."

"I didn't cheat", explained Kevin. "And I'm not kissing your chimchar, kid."

"His name is Moonkey", Jean corrected, "and we're not going anywhere until you kiss him."

"Well, bye then", said Kevin, moving to walk off.

Little did he know Paige had snuck behind him and put one her knees into the back of his to knock him down a peg and pushed his head forward. Kevin ended up kissing Moonkey right on the lips.

Paige and Jean shared a laugh as Kevin rolled away from them, spitting as hard as he could to get feel of monkey off of his lips.

"Why would you do that?" Kevin yelled at them. "That was…sooo not cool!"

He got on all fours, gagging and dry-heaving as they began to walk away.

"Okay, Kevin!" Paige called behind her. "We're going to the Ravaged Path just in case you need to find us!"

Paige threw an arm around Jean as they walked off in laughter.

"Paige, have your piplup use 'water gun' in my mouth!" he yelled after her.

* * *

"This place is gloomy", commented Jean as they entered the cave. "I'm glad you guys let me travel with you. This place would give me nightmares if I came here by myself."

The cave was very dim but lit all the same due to the reflection from the large lake in its epicenter. There was a great amount of moisture on the ceiling, walls and floor, making it possible to slip if you tried to run. Occasionally, water would drip from the ceilings on Jean's hair and Kevin's hoodie, which he hated. The moisture, open space and quiet also made the cave ideal for echoes. Paige tested this.

"Echo…echo…echo!" Paige cried out, producing the echo effect.

Kevin looked at her with his hood over his face, simply shaking his head at her and caused her to stop.

"Oh, look at that", pointed out Paige as a psyduck waddled down the walkway towards them. It was holding its head with both webbed hands, moaning.

"Oooo, what that is?" wondered Jean as she took out her pokedex and scanned the psyduck. Kevin rolled his eyes.

"Psyduck!" the pokedex called out, "water-type duck pokemon. Every psyduck has powerful but latent psychic abilities. The more powerful the psychic powers the more frequent its headaches. It has problems dealing with them on their own."

"Aww, poor baby", Jean said, taking out a pokeball. "I'll take care of you!"

Jean pulled a pokeball out of her backpack and hurled it at the psyduck.

Surprisingly, the ball struck the psyduck right on top of the head and knocked it to the ground. It gave a distressed quack in response.

"Oh!" shouted Jean in surprise.

"Hey!" some twelve-year old boy yelled as he ran down the path after them. He caught up and stopped to look at the dazed psyduck. "Did you just throw a pokeball at Waddle?"

Kevin stifled a laugh. The kid was dressed head to toe like some kind of royal knight, without a helmet but with a cape. He was wearing silver armor that might have been really cheap or really expensive, Kevin didn't know. All he knew was that it was hilarious to him.

"Oh, that…is your…pokemon?" Jean asked awkwardly, wringing her hands. "What? Actually, no, I didn't even see your pokemon. Did it slip? I'm so _sorry_."

The kid picked up the pokeball and bounced it in his hand. He then took a pokeball out of his satchel hidden on his hip underneath his cape and called his psyduck back to his ball.

"So, this isn't your pokeball?" he asked her, presenting her pokeball to her.

She shook her head.

"Well, I guess I'm keeping it since nobody's claiming it", he said as he put it in his pocket.

"Alright, kid", Paige said, "she tried to catch your pokemon but it didn't work because it's obviously yours. Honest mistake; now can she have her pokeball back?"

"Nah", answered the kid.

"Hey, kid", Paige said, gritting her teeth. "I'm older than you so you _have _to listen to me."

"Wow, that's not creepy, lady", the kid said sarcastically.

"It kind of was", agreed Kevin.

"Gah!" screamed Paige. "That's not what I meant! I'm just saying, didn't your momma teach you to respect your elders?"

"No!" yelled the kid. "My mom taught me to respect my own opinions above all others! So, no matter what you say; you're wrong and I'm right!"

"Wow" Kevin said with a whistle. "Calm down, kid."

"Um, Paige", whispered Jean. "It's okay."

"Um, I'm sorry whatever-your-name-is!" Jean said to him. "I didn't know psyduck was yours. You can have the pokeball; it's okay…"

"It is not 'okay'!" the kid shouted dramatically echoing. "My name is Louge the son of Isaac; remember that name because it is the name of the next Sinnoh League Pokemon Champion! And taking your pokeball is not enough; I must also crush you in pokemon battle!"

Jean squeaked in response and hid behind Paige.

"I'm good!" Jean said, waving him off.

"I'm getting real tired of this punk", said Paige, pointing at him. "I got this! Let's go, Tiptup!"

She threw her pokeball, letting out her piplup.

"Did you name your pokemon 'Tiptup?" Kevin asked her.

"Mmmhmm", confirmed Paige.

"Do you plan to evolve it?" asked Kevin.

"I hadn't really thought about that…" Paige murmured.

"Well, you really should", Kevin advised.

"Deflector, crush them!" Louge said, throwing out a pokeball that released a _shiny_ green bronzor.

"What's that?" wondered Jean, scanning it with her pokedex.

"Bronzor", the pokedex informed her. "the steel/psychic mirror pokemon. Bronzor, unlike most steel types, is resistant to heat. It looks exactly the same if it is turned upside down."

Jean tilted her head sideways to test the pokedex's theory.

"It's right!" she exclaimed. "It does!"

"Enough of the chit-chat and more of the kick-butt!" shouted Louge. "Deflector! Use 'confuse ray'!"

"Well, this battle is over", said Kevin, who shook his head and walked off.

Deflector began to produce a loud humming sound as it became imbued with a pink glow. It then produced a wide beam of psychic radiation that enveloped Tiptup like a wave of mist. It didn't look like it had any effect as he just stood there.

"Psssh", hissed Paige, waving it off. "My Tiptup is _aight_; hit him with a 'pound'!"

Tiptup crouched down and flew the air with more force than he had used against the flock of starly earlier. He ended up missing Bronzor completely, flying face-first in the wall a ways off from _everybody_. He was nowhere close to Deflector. Tiptup slowly slid down to the cave floor after having almost knocked itself out.

"Oooh", moaned Paige.

"Paige", whispered Jean. "I think Tiptup's confused."

"Ya think!" Paige yelled in her face, making her jump.

The group then watched as Tiptup got up and continued to pound his flipper-fists meekly into the wet cave wall.

"Well, this is embarrassing", muttered Paige, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Tiptup then walked over, satisfied with a job well done and looked up, squaking happily at … Jean, of all people and hopped right into her surprised arms, knocking Moonkey to the ground. Jean looked over at Paige sheepishly as Moonkey stared at Tiptup angrily.

"Does he think I'm _you_?" Jean asked Paige, who facepalmed in response.

"Okay, I'm just gonna end this", Louge said. "Just step back."

"No!" shouted Paige, stepping in the way of Jean and Tiptup with her arms spread open. "He's already doesn't know where he's at! Do you really have to hit him?"

"So, you forfeit this battle?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"Hahahahahaha, you _suck_!" Louge laughed as he shouted at her as he called Deflector back to his pokeball and put it in his satchel.

"Ugh!" responded Paige with a disgusted face, moving some of her behind her ears. "I won't stand for that; Kevin, show this punk a lesson!"

They all looked to the left of Paige and Jean, only to see that Kevin was no longer there.

"Kevin?" called Paige, producing an echo but no Kevin.

"Yeah!" Louge yelled jumping in the air with a spinning uppercut, causing his cape to twirl behind him. "Suck it, losers! Louge exit scene left!"

Louge then ran away from them towards the cave entrance with the cape trailing behind like he was flying.

"Yeah, well you look like a gay Saturday morning cartoon superhero with a purse!" shouted Paige after him. "On second thought, that was really mean and I wish I could take it back."

Jean walked over to her, still holding her Tiptup and put her hand on Paige's arm in comfort.

"Are you okay?" asked Jean.

"I'm not proud", replied Paige after a sigh.

* * *

Kevin was waiting for them at the edge of the in-cave lake, staring into the waters and trying not to think of old times. It was so painful for him; he never wanted to deal with pokemon again but somehow he was always dragged right back in. It was a curse.

"Dude!" Paige called as she and Jean ran to catch up, holding their respective pokemon then. "You totally left us back there! I got destroyed by that 'Louge' dork back there!"

"I know", Kevin said.

"Well, why didn't you battle him?" she asked.

"His bronzor was much too advanced for us" Kevin revealed. "My turtwig wouldn't have stood a chance either. Coming?"

Kevin stood up and walked towards the exit to Floaroma Town, forcing the others to follow him.


	3. Floaroma sucks

Kevin led Paige and Jean through the north part of route 204 after exiting the ravaged path. He rested his thumbs under the straps of his backpack, yanking them as he listened to the glee of Jean and Paige. It seemed that whatever sickness of smiles and sugar plums that Jean was afflicted with was spreading to Paige. He was in for a long afternoon.

"It's been a beautiful summer day, hasn't it?" Jean asked Paige.

"Yeah, I guess it has", said Paige, looking around at the fields as they walked towards Floaroma town.

"OMG!" Jean squealed. "Look at those beautifly over there! They look so amazing! I would try to catch one but I don't want to disturb them!"

Kevin saw the colorful giant butterfly pokemon dancing in strange patterns over the natural garden to their right. He was unimpressed.

"That's so nice of you!" replied Paige.

"These flowers!" exclaimed Jean. "My god!"

Kevin sighed in gratified relief when he walked up to the Floaroma Town gate with the ten foot high wooden banner overhead. He stopped in his tracks as he walked beneath it, allowing Paige and Jean to pass him. A second later, they realized they were leaving him and looked back at him expectantly.

"Well, that was fun", Kevin clasping his hands together. "Jean, I think this is where we part ways!"

"Wow!" Jean taking a whiff of the air and giggling. "Do you smell that honeydew! I bet there's a budew around!"

Jean then took off towards the fields with Moonkey in her arms, squealing and flashing the widest smile.

Paige made to follow her with Tiptup in her arms.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

She looked back at him and shrugged her shoulders.

"I love flowers, dude", she told him.

"What?" he asked. "Since when? We're trying to get rid of her, remember? Why are you doing this to me?!"

Paige ignored him and chased after Jean into the flower fields, giggling.

"A gothic chick going gaga over flowers", muttered Kevin. "Imagine that. You're so pale that it looks like you don't go outside."

.

"No, mom", Kevin said on his cellphone as he walked through the 'town' of five buildings and several fields of flowers. "I haven't found David yet and he still isn't answering his cell."

"You don't think he joined a gang, do you?" his mom asked. "These kids nowadays are so gullible; they're willing to believe anybody with a can of soda and a cool charizard."

"Mom, he didn't join a gang", Kevin reasoned with her. "He probably just let his cellphone die and forgot to charge it. He does it all the time."

He was stopped in his tracks by a little girl in a pink sundress, straw hat and sandals. He tried to move past her but she stepped in his way.

"Excuse me for a second, mom", he said on the phone before putting it down and talking to the little girl, "What?!"

"Would you like to buy a psyduck water pail?" she asked, holding up a water pail with a psyduck face on it. It even made a quacking sound when she shook it.

"No, I'm a man", he said as he tried to pass her again.

"It's only five dollars and ninety-nine cents", she said, stretching onto her heels.

"If I buy it will you never talk ever again until we die?" he asked her, bending down to talk to her.

She simply nodded, holding her sunhat on her head as she did so.

He fished out six dollars from his wallet and took the pail from her.

"Keep the penny", he told her.

"Thankee-sai!" she wailed as she ran past him, holding her sunhat.

"Weird kid" he noted as he put his phone back up to his ear. He noticed a dial tone.

"Hello? Hello?" he yelled into the phone. "Oh that's nice, mom. Hang up on your own son."

He then looked down at the water pail in his hand, making it quack as he moved it.

"Where am I going to put this thing?" he wondered.

.

Kevin walked into the Pick a Peck of Flowers Shop. The aisles on either side of him were lined with flowers and seeds in little packets. It was a regular garden in there. He walked up at the pretty blonde girl behind the register.

"How are you doing today, sir?" the girl asked. "Are you interested in purchasing an arrangement today?"

"Maybe, you have a girlfriend?" some brunette in short-shorts and sneakers asked as she slid right next to him. "Chicks love flowers, dude!"

"Ah", Kevin yelped, flinching a bit as he was startled. He looked around. "Where did you even come from?"

"We have a special deal on the Gracidea flower", advertised the counter girl. "It's very rare and it's for a limited time only."

"Flowers!" exclaimed the brunette next to him, spreading her arms in the air.

"Oh!" said the counter girl, looking at the pail in Kevin's hand. "I see that you have a sprayduck pail. "That gives you a discount! All orders are 15% off!"

"Whaaaat?" the brunette hissed. "That's a great deal. You should take it."

"Actually, I'm good", Kevin said, taking his phone out of his pocket. "I was actually wondering if you've seen this kid."

He found a picture and of his brother and showed it to them. It was of a brown-skinned little with a hoody and his eyes closed, with the widest smile they had ever seen. All of David's teeth could be seen in the picture.

"I don't think we've seen that kid in here", said the counter girl. "What about … you, Carol?"

"That kid needs to brush his teeth more", Carol said, pointing at some plaque in David's teeth. "Maybe floss more."

"What…like…that matters!" yelled Kevin, looking at the picture before going back into his phone and bringing up another one of David throwing up a peace sign next to his newly acquired piplup in front of Professor Rowan's lab. David was wearing a white shirt, jeans and sneakers. Kevin looked at the picture for a second and saw how happy the brat was to finally embark on his pokemon journey like his hero big brother did years prior. He began to wonder where the little brat was and why he wasn't accepting any calls. He then turned the phone towards the two girls, showing it to one and then to the other.

"Have either of you seen my little brother?" he asked.

.

Kevin went to all four of the other buildings in town and stopped everybody he saw to show them the same picture but nobody had seen Jacob. It was then that Kevin decided it would be best to try his luck in the next town over or at least find somewhere to bed down for the night.

.

Kevin walked to the edge of Floaroma Town towards Route 205, only to see two weirdos wearing silver and black costumes with a golden 'G' emblazoned on their chest.

"Hey, guy!" one of them called out to him as he approached them. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Route 205, idiot", said Kevin as he tried to move around them. "Can you move, please?"

"Not gonna happen, kid!" the other guy said as he pushed Kevin back. "Nobody goes this way until Team Galactic finishes our business."

Kevin pulled on his backpack straps and blew out some air in annoyance.

"You're one of those lame teams?" he asked.

"You don't know who we are?" one of them asked.

"No, I don't and apparently I'm not missing much" Kevin said. "Your costumes look like they were rejected from 'Star Trek: The original series' and your haircuts remind me of 'Mandark' from 'Dexter's Laboratory'."

He was talking about their chili-bowl style haircuts of course.

"If you went to my school", Kevin went on. "I would make fun of you. Like, everyday."

"That's it!" shouted one of the Team Galactic goons. "We will not be taken lightly by some kid!"

"Hey, man", Kevin protested. "I'm sixteen. That's old enough to drive in most regions. Except for this one, for some reason; I hate Sinnoh sometimes."

"Enough!" shouted the Team Galactic goon. "We will do battle for your disrespect!"

"Man, I already had a battle today", Kevin whined. "If I beat you, will you let me pass?"

"Sure, _if_ you beat us!" the goon said.

Kevin backed away to give the battle some room. He took his backpack off and reached in for his pokeball.

"Let's see what you can do, little turtle", he said, unleashing his turtwig.

The turtwig appeared with a determined look on his face and croaked towards Team Galactic. It then looked back at Kevin and walked towards him.

"No, we're battling now", Kevin said, trying to deter it away. He kneeled down as it got close to push its head away. "No…_no_."

"What a wimpy little turtwig", one of the goons said.

"Make them cry, Loomy?" the other goon wailed as he hurled his pokeball.

"Loomy?" wondered Kevin, making a face. "You guys with your pokemon names…oh man, this is gonna suck."

He had seen what pokemon the team galactic goon had. It was a Drifloon.

.

Kevin had just come from the pokemon center to see what Paige was up to. They were in the middle of a flower field, playing with a shinx in the grass. They sat on their knees as the static feline pokemon jumped excitedly all over them. Paige pushed it on its side, making it roll over a few times. It jumped up back up gleefully.

He sighed and walked over.

"Okay", he said, "fun time's over."

"Hey, Kevin", Paige said, picking up the mewling kitten and holding it out towards him. "A shinx! I've always wanted one!"

Kevin stared at her for a second.

"Who are you?" he asked, really wanting to know. He didn't know this person. Paige was acting like a stranger right then.

She responded by standing up and rubbing the nose of the shinx along Kevin's nose. He could the low static brush against his face, giving him a weird feeling. He backed away, giving her a face.

"Hey, there are some goons who won't let us onto the next road unless we beat them in a pokemon battle", he said to both Paige and Jean. "Do you want to like train or something…?"

"Hey, what's that in your hand?" asked Paige.

"Oh", Kevin said looking down and holding it up for her. "It's a psyduck water pail. Some weird girl gave it to me for some reason."

"Well, throw it away", Paige told him, holding up the shinx and looking at it. "It reminds me too much of my failure. Oh, psyduck, oh I wish I could have youuuu!"

"I've never known you to be this dramatic", Kevin informed her. "So, are you guys coming to train or not? Jean, I thought you wanted to be a pokemon master or whatever."

"Yeah, but I'm doing this right now", said Jean, as she was looking on as a beautifly pollinated a flower.

"Ridiculous", Kevin said as he walked off to go train his turtwig.

.

Kevin walked over to Floaroma Meadow, a secluded spot just beyond the town so that he and his turtwig could train in peace. Many trainers would raise their eyebrows at the fact that Kevin would pick such an isolated place to train his pokemon. Many had the mindset that pokemon couldn't get stronger without battling other pokemon but that was where they were wrong. Trainers of Fighting-type pokemon have long used a technique known in Sinnoh as resistant force training for years. This was a training technique that Kevin was all too familiar with.

Pokemon have amazed their human companions in many ways but one of their most mysterious traits is their abilities to adapt to obstacles and goals set in their paths. The philosophy of resistant force training has used this to train pokemon in various ways. Trainers often use opposing pokemon with high defenses to increase their pokemon's attack power. They use pokemon with high speed to increase their own pokemon's speed. For strength, Kevin has often gone to the stationary object, like a big rock or a tree.

He walked around the edge of the meadow kicking trees, rejecting many of them for their softness in bark. When he found one he was satisfied with, he kicked it several times to be sure. He then reached into his backpack and pulled out his only filled pokeball. He pushed the release button for turtwig, who emerged from the flash with a yawn of contentment.

"I didn't intend to do this, little guy", Kevin said to his little turtle creature, "but it seems you can't get anywhere in this region without a pokemon that is at least a little trained. I wouldn't have you if I didn't have to look for my brother and if without me, you'd still be stuck at that lab. So, I guess we're stuck with each other."

The turtwig crawled towards Kevin, where he nudged against Kevin's right converse sneaker and tried to bite the tip of it with his beak-tipped mouth.

"Wha-", said a taken aback Kevin, "are you hungry?"

Turtwig looked up at Kevin as its yellow-rimmed eyes grew wider and the leaf on the top of its head began to sway excitedly.

"Oh", said Kevin, looking off towards the flower fields to their right. "Well, have at it. I don't care."

The turtwig excitedly ran off towards the flowers and immediately snipped a bunch of them off at the root, chewing them rapidly into his mouth. Kevin watched in amazement as his little turtwig rapidly swathed a path through the flowers. He had never seen such a little pokemon eat so much; he unleashed a monster.

"Hey!" he shouted after it as he ran into the flowers. "Hey! I don't want you getting fat on me!"

Kevin ended up picking up the guy in his arms, having to yank him away from the flowers with some effort. The turtwig was still chewing on some flowers when Kevin ran back to the tree and plunked him down in front of it.

"OK", Kevin said. "Fun time's over. It's training time now. I want twenty half-strength tackles against the bark of this tree! Let's go!"

Turtwig looked at the tree and his eyes screamed determination and motivation. It reared back and hit the tree with a shaking, skull-splitting tackle. He managed to shake the leaves a bit but he collapsed from the sharp pain in his head.

"See, that's what happens when you go full strength!" Kevin said. "Your head is still soft. You aren't developed enough for that yet. Let's start with some small headbutts."

Kevin actually got down on all fours, mimicking turtwig a bit as he gently tapped the dome of his head against the tree to demonstrate it to turtwig.

"See, like this", he told his pokemon.

Turtwig took Kevin's place in front of the tree and began thrusting his head against the tree at a steady pace, realizing how much he could handle.

"Good", Kevin said. "Now, let's get twenty more of those and gradually go harder on the last ten."

Some time later, Kevin climbed into one of the trees to grab a rogue branch. He tore it loose and jumped back down next to turtwig, who looked up at him in curiosity. Kevin held out the leaves of the branch to him.

"Bite down on this", he told the pokemon.

Turtwig reached out with his neck and chomped down on it, holding it in his mouth.

"Now, try to pull it away from me", Kevin told him as he pulled back away from Turtwig.

Turtwig tried to hold his ground but he was much too small to overpower Kevin, who dragged him across the ground easily after a few seconds to the young pokemon's dismay. Kevin yanked the branch from turtwig's mouth and watched the turtwig pushed himself back into a upright position.

"Again", Kevin said, reaching out with the branch again, intending to continue their tug and war game.

.

After a good amount of time on their resistant and strength training, Kevin dipped his psyduck water pail into a lake in the ravaged path and returned to outside the where his turtwig was waiting. When Kevin returned, he motioned him to step in front of him. While the turtwig waited there, Kevin slowly and carefully watered the soft soil shell and leafy plant on his back. Paige and Jean found them there.

"Aw, isn't that cute?" teased Paige.

"Shut up", said Kevin, who used one hand to smooth out the soil. "Making sure a grass pokemon gets plenty of water and sun keeps it strong. This little guy is gonna make some young trainer a champion someday. Actually, I'll probably give him to my brother."

Jean, Paige and even the turtwig looked a bit taken aback at that statement.

"So, you're not gonna keep turtwig?" asked Jean.

"No way", Kevin said. "I told you guys. I don't train pokemon anymore. I'm only doing this to find my brother. That's it. I grew out of this; I'm never going to be an elite or a gym leader anyway. There's no reason for me to do this."

"Are you gonna name him at least?" asked Jean.

Kevin stopped pouring the water over his turtwig as it looked up at him expectantly. He looked back at it, amazed that he could be feeling a sense of closeness with _any_ pokemon again, no matter how slight.

"Yeah, I think so", said Kevin finally. "How about Terror? He's gonna be terrorizing opposing pokemon one day so I think it suits him. What do you think about that name, little guy?"

Terror walked over to him and croaked happily, flashing a wide grin of sorts. He seemed to approve. Kevin bent down and picked up the small but growing pokemon by the shell and held him away from him like a father looking over his child. Terror playfully tried to nip at Kevin's nose.

"Terror", Kevin repeated, "trying the name out on his tongue. Yeah, I think that'll work for now."

Kevin set Terror back down the ground and looked down at him with pride.

"Let's try this", Kevin said. "Terror, use 'Absorb'!"

Terror lowered his head and balled itself into its shell as much as it could without actually withdrawing. In front of their very eyes, Terror began to glow a bright green color. If it touched a pokemon in that state, it would steal some of its vitality and energy.

"Awesome!" shouted Kevin, making a fist in the air. "Those Galactic goons are gonna get it!"

.

"What?" shouted Kevin.

"Yeah", one of the Team Galactic goons answered, clapping Kevin on the shoulder. "The boss is pulling us out of here. You're free to go."

"But I've been training for two hours to come and defeat you!" Kevin protested.

Kevin had returned to leave Floaroma town where Team Galactic had blocked the exit, with Jean and Paige in tow this time; only for the goons to tell him that they were leaving without a fight.

"Tough luck, kid", one of the goons said.

"Yeah" said the other as they turned and began walking down route 205. "Tough luck, kid."

"Dude, I just said that."

"So?"

Kevin stood there, stunned.

"I _was_ going to catch a beautifly", said Jean to Paige, "but I didn't want to hurt those pretty pokemon."

Paige nodded.

"Whatever", Kevin said, scoffing at the leaving Galactic goons. "I don't even care."

"He cares", whispered Paige into Jean's ear, "don't let him fool you."

"Shut up, maaaaan!" yelled Kevin.

With that, Kevin continued his search down route 205. It was starting to get dark so he was looking to find a room to stay for the night soon, most likely in Eterna City. The loss of his summer vacation continued; just great.

.

**Author's Note: I know, I know; that's not how EVs work but for this story, that's how they work. I kind of always thought they should work like that anyway. Thanks.**


End file.
